WWW Wednesday #AmReading

                                                        

Today I’m participating in WWW Wednesdays, at Taking on a World of Words.  Here’s how it works:

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next, and/or what are you eagerly awaiting?

WWW Wednesday, 31-July-2024 | Taking On a World of Words

*****

I am currently reading WE BURNED OUR BOATS by Karen Jones Gowen. When young folks pick up and move cross-country, the change for them is usually easily accomplished because adventure is in their bones and discovery is their main objective. But when folks who have spent years working to raise a family and have reached that time in life when relaxing in the back yard with a cold drink and a good book is enticing, it seems that a move, not just cross-country, but totally out of the country, sounds less appealing. Not for Karen and husband Bruce Gowen, though, who packed up a few belongings and flew to Guatemala City, then rode to the highland region where their daughter and son-in-law were opening a hotel in Panajachel. Karen and Bruce were there to help them.

Because I have no plans to travel to Central America, I am enjoying all the adventures Karen Jones Gowen vividly describes, giving me the opportunity to experience travel from the comfort of my lanai, with a cold drink at my side.

We Burned Our Boats by
Karen Jones Gowen

*****

Recently I read John Sandford's DARK ANGEL, a spinoff from his Prey/Lucas Davenport series and featuring 25-year-old daughter and protagonist, Letty Davenport, who is an investigator for the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security. Of course, with all her training and fitness, she doesn't just sit around doing paperwork and her Sig 938 is a constant companion with which she is apparently capable of shooting off specific parts of fruit flies. While Lucas was once my favorite of Sandford's characters, and Letty is quite entertaining, my top favorite is Virgil Flowers. Favorite or runners-up, Sandford novels always get 5-star reviews from me.

Dark Angel by
John Sandford

Another book I recently read is LARCENY & LAST CHANCES: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense (A Superior Shores Anthology Book 4 from Judy Penz Sheluk.) Many of the short stories, written by 22 different authors, are top-notch and worth the price of the book; some are entertaining with an unusual or unexpected climax, which is always a bonus for a mystery reader.

Larceny & Last Chances
Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk

*****

Next upcoming on my reading list is Randy Wayne White's BLACK WIDOW, #15 in his Doc Ford action series set in Florida. Mr. White's novels hooked me years ago after a relaxing vacation (to escape Wisconsin's cold winter) on Captiva and Sanibel Island. One day while swimming, a dolphin appeared nearby along with a friend and hooked me on the laidback lifestyle of southern living. Reading Doc Ford novels keeps that adventurous feeling alive. And though I did eventually leave the snowy climate behind, heading much farther south where the weather is always aloha-plenty warm, Doc Ford is still one of my favorite novel characters.

Black Widow by
Randy Wayne White

*****

The MacGuffin in "The Maltese Falcon" #FridayReads

When a local library in Honolulu decided to close its doors for good, I snagged a hard cover copy of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, the only full-length novel in which Detective Sam Spade appears. The statuette of a falcon, an object that has been lost for centuries, is the focus of a deadly search around the world. Guns are drawn. People die.

A MacGuffin in a book is an object or event that is necessary to the plot or its characters' motivation but is irrelevant in itself. The missing falcon is the MacGuffin in The Maltese Falcon as desire for its ownership drives the plot. The ring in J.R.R. Tolkien's saga and the Philosopher's Stone in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novel are both MacGuffins that give purpose to the novels' plotlines. I would include Stephen King's Dark Tower series, a tale of a gunslinger's quest for the tower which is reported to be the nexus of all universes. The tower is the MacGuffin that drives the plot but is irrelevant in itself.

While reading Dashiell Hammett's novel again recently, I thought about current day MacGuffins and how an event such as an upcoming wedding can indirectly control current actions. Preceding a wedding, the bride-to-be nervously over-eats her way out of her wedding dress; the groom has second thoughts and leaves town; the father of the bride embezzles company funds to pay for the wedding reception; or little sister of the groom shoplifts a wedding gift for her brother.

And then there are MacGuffins in movies!

*****      

Opening Paragraphs To Hook the Reader #AmWriting

Iolani Palace in Honolulu on Oahu, Hawaii
the only royal palace in the USA
(recent photo)

At a Hawaii Fiction Writers workshop, authors read opening paragraphs of their current writing projects. Good opening sentences draw the reader into the writer's world to immediately hook them with promises of an action-filled thriller, conflicting emotions of a true romance, or unfolding drama in a historical novel. 

Author and Mental Health Professional, Joy Ogawa, who was born and raised in Hawaii and states she has been creating worlds and characters since age five, was invited to share news of her recently published debut historical novel: Victoria Ward and the Gilded Age of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Opening lines of Joy Ogawa's historical novel introduce the reader to the regal side of the 19th century Hawaiian Kingdom, showcasing protagonist Victoria Kathleen Robinson Ward and her family.

The Kingdom of Hawai'i

O'ahu

Iolani Palace

A beautiful part-Hawaiian, part-Caucasian woman fusses over her daughters’ Victorian finery as they exit the carriage. She arranges them in order by age, except for the guest of honor. The palace doors open, and the Royal Hawaiian Guard announce their arrival. “Your Majesty, introducing Ms. Annie Eva Theresa Einei Ward, debutant, the fourth daughter of Mrs. Victoria Kathleen Robinson Ward and the late Mr. Curtis Perry Ward. She is accompanied by her six sisters and brother-in-law.” 

King David Laʻamea Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua is a charming and handsome modern renaissance man who cuts a dashing figure in his ceremonial Victorian English royal and military dress with fashionable bushy mutton chops. Jovial, his brown eyes sparkle with delight as he formally receives the Ward family.

Ogawa, Joy (2024-01-04T22:58:59.000). Victoria Ward and the Gilded Age of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Austin Macauley Publishers. Kindle Edition.

*****

Synopsis:   

1889, Iolani Palace, O'ahu: The majestic Hawaiian Kingdom teeters on the brink of oblivion. At its heart stands Victoria Ward, a woman of royal Hawaiian blood, bound by her lineage and duty. Armed with vast lands, ancient cultural rituals, and the unwavering loyalty of her villagers, she becomes the beacon of hope for a nation under threat.

From my Book Review:

Excellently researched and professionally written history of Hawaii alii, royalty, and family life on Oahu right up to present day headlines. Victoria Robinson Ward's strong family focus and tough business sense are highlighted throughout.

*****

More on "opening lines/paragraphs from "Operation Awesome (a group of writers)

Operation Awesome: Week #32 – Lord of the Flies by William Golding (operationawesome6.blogspot.com)

*****

WWW Wednesday #AmReading

 

Today I’m participating in WWW Wednesdays, at Taking on a World of Words.  Here’s how it works:

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next, and/or what are you eagerly awaiting?

WWW Wednesday, 17-July-2024 | Taking On a World of Words (wordpress.com)

*****

Currently I am reading Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler. Last year I decided to start reading more series books so I wouldn't always be wondering what my next read would be. Mr. Cussler's long list of novels and action-packed plots are a perfect addition to my reading list. I don't often write book reviews but when an interesting remark or topic item within the plot catches my eye, as happened with this story, it compels me to write a short essay to post on my blog (which will appear in August.)

Recently, I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, a book club choice. I haven't been reading many literary novels, but this one is definitely my favorite of the year. Along with the entertainment factor, it also offers excellent suggestions for future reading.

Next on my reading list is Wolf Pack by C.J. Box, another series author who has made my reading experience a pleasurable pastime.  Another amazing author, Randy Wayne White, will follow with Black Widow.

What's on your reading list?

*****

The Hits Just Keep Coming - Cadillac Clem: A Cody Ross Enigma

Chicago Civic Center (now Daley Plaza)
with reflection of City Hall 

Since my early teens, I have been an avid reader of book series in an eclectic range of genres, including mystery, thriller, detective, and adventure. When the 2019 pandemic hit, my reading schedule went into overdrive, focusing on authors ranging from Sandford, Connelly, and Baldacci to Randy Wayne White, C.J. Box, and Robert P. Parker. Cussler, Crichton, J. A. Jance, and Elmore Leanord also have designated spaces on my TBR bookshelves, both in print and e-Book formats.

But when a local author here in Hawaii publishes a book, I clear my calendar to read their latest novel, memoir, anthology, or book of poetry. When I received word that author Ray Pace on the Big Island had published a new sequel to his "Wise Guys You'll Love, If You Know What's Good For You" series, Cadillac Clem: A Cody Ross Enigma, I knew I was in for a treat. Ray knew it too - because his story unfolds in Chicago, a town where I once worked and chose as the setting of my first mystery novel.

For Cadillac Clem, it's 1960, the heat is on, and the Republican convention is gearing up for the coming election. Ike will attend, throwing his support behind his once-vice president for future president of the United States. And Private Eye Cody Ross, working on a missing person's case, is right in the middle of the ever-escalating action.

This may be my favorite novel in the series to date. Cadillac Clem is a well-told and entertaining detective story played out during the planning of the 1960's Republican Convention in Daley's Chicago. Sometimes, as you might agree with, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. And there is never a dull moment for P.I. Cody Ross and an entertaining cast of interesting characters.

*****

Cadillac Clem: A Cody Ross Enigma

by Ray Pace

Available at Amazon.com

  

Running Wild With A Writing Exercise: Your Turn!

As mentioned in an earlier post, HAWAII FICTION WRITERS members participated in an entertaining and educational project involving the creation of fractured fairy tales. The anthology, compiled to raise money for local libraries in Hawaii, is entitled KISSING FROGS and other Quirky Fairy Tales. 

Frogs are well represented in such tales as the eponymous Kissing Frogs; Frog Prince Wants a Condo; and The Kindred Frog. Some tales are a bit more unconventional, quirky to be precise. Examples include: Jack and the Beanstalkers; Why Were the Brothers Grimm?; and Hansel, Gretel, and the Food-Challenged Witch.

One of my tales easily falls into the "quirky" category. The story employs details from various tales of Snow White, details concerning the methods in which the queen attempts to eliminate Ms. White - diabolical plans that included ordering the huntsman to cut out the step-child's heart; then resorting to poison, and finally asphyxiation. And while Snow White is forever associated with the lives of seven dwarfs, my story has Detective Whitey Snow focused on the demise of seven corpses. 

Available at Amazon.com

In the opening lines of her FOREWORD to the anthology,

Cultural Mythologist Jane L. Mickelson poses the questions: 

"What is the relationship between ancient myths and retold fairy tales? When does a myth morph into a fairy tale? And at what point is the fairy tale turned inside out to become “fractured” or “retold”? 

She continues in this following excerpt: "In one sense, all myths, fairy, and folk tales, as we know them now, are retold. They arise out of oral tradition and are passed along by memory, which inevitably puts new spins on their telling, to match the cultural environment in which they’re told. From the sacred to the profane, nothing seems outside the permissible."

Would your version of a fractured fairy tale lean toward romance, comedy, mystery, or a completely different genre? Pick a well-known or even an obscure fairy tale and let your imagination run wild writing a whole new (fractured) version. 

*****